Thomas Blundell Pocket Watch

This watch is displayed because of its very unusual silver case that has maker's marks "RS" and "Larmour & Co. Balt." It was acquired in 2016 from Alan Treherne, longtime member of the Antiquarian Horological Society who has served in many leadership roles.

William B. Larmour, watchmaker & jeweler, was born circa 1830 in Ireland and worked in Baltimore, Maryland (circa 1858-1864) alone, and then as Lamour & Company (a retail jewelry business). Larmour was located on Light Street in the 1860's, than on Baltimore Street. The firm was succeeded by W.M. Justis in 1874 (Communications with Voss, 2016).

The American Farmer, Vol. III. No. 4, Saml. Sands & Son, Baltimore, MD, April, 1874, p. 191

This watch is pictured in the Antiquarian Horological Society Publication Your Time, although misidentified as "T. Armour & Co." Alan Treherne states the Liverpool movement is fullplate, capped and jeweled with single table roller escapement in an American octagonal silver hunter case. Signed Thomas Blundell, serial number 12854 on the movement and Thos. Blundell Liverpool on the dial. Thomas Blundell was a manufacturer and exporter of watches to Ireland and America located in Liverpool, England. He employed twenty men and a boy (Treherne, 49).

Larmour American Case

Unusual and heavy American made octagonal silver hunter case with imitation hallmarks. Casemaker / sponsor marks “RS” for Ralph Samuel of Liverpool and Larmour & Co. Baltimore.

See A. Hews Jr., S. Hovey & Co. or B. & M. M. Swan for other watches with casemaker's mark "RS".

For other examples of an English movement cased in America see John Cragg, David Taylor, George Harlow, William Mitchell.

Larmour Silversmith

Additional References and recommended reading:

Philip Priestley, Watch Case Makers of England, NAWCC Watch & Clock Bulletin Supplement No. 20 (1994)
William Erik Voss, http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~silversmiths/makers/silversmiths
Alan Treherne, "Edward Massey's Lever Escapement." Your Time - Including the Contribution of Northwest England to the Development of Clocks and Watches, Edited by John Robey, Antiquarian Horological Society, 2008

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